That Kind of Love
by maryclumsykatherine
Summary: Cammie is a normal girl making her way through high school like a million girls have before. Zach Goode shows up and throws her for a loop. He's interested in Cammie, but Cammie has fairy-tale expectations for her relationships, and Zach is going to have to prove that they can have that kind of love that Cammie has always dreamed of. AU-no spies.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The Gallagher Girls series is not mine, nor are the words borrowed from the magnificent Jane Austen (who, for the purposes of this story, I have renamed Gilly Gallagher) that are found in this chapter(: Nor are the words about the electron transport chain. Those belong to an off-site webpage. The picture in the cover is not mine, but the editing most certainly is.**

**Twilight fans: Don't take offense to a line in here. I have nothing against y'all. I was once one myself (new moon midnight premiere, anyone?), but… I couldn't help myself (:**

* * *

_Dear Diary,_

_Romantic teen novels might just be my death. I love them. I can't get enough of them, but they set my expectations for my own relationships way, way too high. Or maybe they just keep my standards from falling too low. I'm not really sure. I won't lie and say that these books didn't play a role in my decision to break up with Josh. Of course they did. I still don't know if I made the right decision or not. I mean, Josh is everything I could ask for in a boyfriend. I didn't have a single complaint…. Well, except for one. The spark wasn't there. The spark in all of those books? Josh and I didn't have that kind of love. I'm not sure if I believe in fairy tales. I don't know if they're realistic. But whether they are or not, they're guiding my love story. Maybe that means I'll end up forever alone because nothing will ever meet those expectations. But I have a feeling I won't ever settle; I won't ever stay in a relationship unsatisfied. Because I have to keep believing that that kind of love is out there. I have to keep believing that I will find that kind of love._

_Dreaming as always,_

_Cammie_

* * *

"_In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." Elizabeth's astonishment was beyond expression. She stared-_

My reading was interrupted by the shadow that fell across the page I was reading, and I looked up, ready to gripe at whoever interrupted one of my favorite moments of my favorite book. The stranger's green eyes startled me, making me catch my breath and lose my thought, but I quickly recovered when I saw the smirk on his face.

A scowl settled across my features, and I opened my mouth to complain, but before I could get a word out, he piped out a "Whatcha reading?"

"It's called 'Get Out of My Sight.'" A 'shoo' gesture accompanied my words, and I let the words of Gilly Gallagher seize my attention.

_She stared, coloured, doubted, and was silent. This he considered sufficient encouragement; and the avowal of all that he felt, and had long felt-_

And, suddenly, the words in front of me were gone.

"Seriously?!" I spouted in complete exasperation. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to snatch?"

That annoying smirk found his way back onto his face, and he replied, in a voice much too chipper and smug, "As a matter of fact, she taught me the opposite. Anyway, I was only curious to know what a girl like you would be reading during her free period." He took a glance at the cover, and the annoying smirk grew like a pesky weed in my flower bed that had been watered with an energy drink. "Gilly Gallagher, _Pride and Prejudice._" With a scoff and a shake of his head, he handed the book back to me.

Annoyed at his condescending tone, I asked, "What? Your gorilla brain can't understand that women aren't just there to make you a sandwich?"

He feigned innocence and put his hand over his heart in mock hurt, "That hurts,_ Gallagher Girl_. That hurts right here."

I rolled my eyes, and he rolled his back, snatching the book once more, scanning his eyes down the page before reading, "_From the very beginning - from the first moment, I may almost say - of my acquaintance with you, your manners, impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, were such as to form that groundwork of disapprobation on which succeeding events have built so immoveable a dislike; and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry." _

He threw me yet _another _smirk before adding, "You know, Elizabeth seems to have a false impression of someone she actually really cares about. You might want to watch out, Gallagher Girl. You may not have to read the book much longer. You might just start living it." He winked and gave me my book back before he started to turn around to leave.

"Actually, Mr. Smirks-a-lot, Elizabeth wasn't wrong in her accusations. He was arrogant. He did have a 'selfish disdain of the feelings of others.' Elizabeth's love just gave her the ability to overlook his flaws and love him despite his imperfections. Their imperfections are what make the story so phenomenal."

He raised his eyebrows and gave a slight nod, almost in approval, before seemingly dismissing the subject with a muttered, "As long as it's not some sparkly vampire book."

"Does that even deserve the honor of being called a book?"

He chuckled one softly in appreciation before silence found its way between us.

I waited a second to see if he'd continue the conversation before I got up from the underneath the tree I'd been leaning against and brushed myself off. "Well, I'll see you around, I guess."

He slid his sunglasses back onto his nose and nodded his head at me, taking my spot, "See ya around."

I turned around, hugging my precious Gilly Gallagher novel to my chest, and shook my head, laughing a little, before making my way to my next class.

* * *

"Electron Transport requires oxygen directly. The electron transport 'chain' is a series of electron carriers in the membrane of the mitochondria in eukaryotic cells. Through a series of reactions, the 'high energy' electrons…."

The teacher droned on, but I wasn't listening. My mind was elsewhere. Back underneath a tree with a green-eyed boy.

The monotony of biology was interrupted when the door swung open, revealing the exact person on my mind.

"You're late," the teacher announced.

_Does that smirk _ever _leave his face?_

"Got lost," he shrugged.

"Well, why don't you grab a seat next to someone who can help you get around the school today so that other teachers won't have to suffer through such ill, rude manners as I have?" The teacher looked around the classroom and started to ask for volunteers, but green eyes was already half way across the room.

He didn't even look at the teacher when he said, "No need. I've found my guide," before plopping his books onto the table next to me with a loud smack. He winked at me and leaned back in his seat, wrapping his arm around the back of my chair.

I slapped his arm away, narrowed my eyes, and said, "Let's keep our hands to ourselves, okay?" Throwing my hair over my shoulder, I turned my attention to the teacher and attempted to focus.

"Oh, Gallagher Girl. Trust me when I say that you won't be saying that for much longer," he winked and started playing with the ends of my hair.

Slapping his hand away again, I raised an eyebrow, "In your dreams."

* * *

"Oh, you're going."

"I am not."

"How many times do I have to threaten you?! You're going."

I rolled my eyes, repeating again the only three words I've said since Macey walked into the room, "I am not."

"Do I have to remind you that, at this very second, I have a picture of you in a _very _skimpy," at this she tilted her head back and seemed to think for a second before throwing in "for you at least" and continuing with her threat, "little elf costume from that modeling shoot you agreed to do last year for that designer?"

I glared at her, "Do I have to remind _you, _that I wouldn't have been in that situation if you hadn't done exactly what you're doing now and threatened me to accept his offer."

She grinned proudly, "Oh yeah. See? You appreciate my threats. They make your life _soo _much more interesting."

"Macey?" I asked as sweetly as I could.

"Yes?" She returned the sugary sweetness with an angelic smile.

"No." All expression dropped from my face except for determination to not give in.

"Fine! That's okay." Knowing that was way too easy, she would never give up that quickly, I started to panic as she walked out of the room.

"Where are you going?!" I grabbed her arm. She just shook it off and let out a sing-song, "To call Bex."

I let out an unintelligible complaint before grumbling, "Fine. I'll go."

Macey spun around on the heel of her Louis Vuitton shoes and squealed, almost knocking me over with the force of her hug. "We are going to have _so_ much fun!"

Since when is fun synonymous with torture?

**I know this is a short chapter. My average word count for this story per a chapter is going to be about 2k, but since this first chapter is just setting everything up, I don't want to stretch it out too much(:**

**Quick few things about me as an author:**

**I'm a cheerleader and straight-A student and I work with my church and I volunteer, and I do like having fun with my friends, so I sometimes don't make my planned updates, but, if that's the case, please annoy me about it, and I'll work hard to get it up as soon as possible.**

**Summer doesn't seem to have a schedule does it? So, updates won't be on any certain day at this point, but I'm aiming for 1-2 updates a week.**

**I'll never bribe y'all with that "20-reviews until I update" silliness.**

**I reply to all of my reviews in a PM, and I'm welcome to **_**constructive **_**criticism! I need it in fact(:**

**Have a great week, y'all! Love you guys(: To new readers: welcome! Returning readers: I MISSED YOU!(:**

**~Mary Katherine**


	2. Chapter 2

**A few lines in this chapter are all Ally's! You'll recognize them, but I've italicized them as well!(; It helps me to keep connecting the original story to my AU, and I hope y'all like their incorporation.**

**This second chapter wasn't as horribly awful as I remember thinking it was, so I've made some changes, but I've kept it pretty similar. I think it was chapter 3 that will be requiring a major overhaul? Anyway, enjoy!(:**

* * *

_Dear Diary,_

_I've decided I'd rather be forever alone than settle for a love that I'll never feel satisfied in. I don't want to be another one of those divorce statistics even if that means I sit at home with twenty-seven bridesmaid dresses in my closet and not a single white one fit for a bride. I want that kind of love that leaves me wanting more in the most delicious way. I don't want to left wanting more from him; I want to left wanting more _of _him. You know?_

_Still wishing on falling stars,_

_Cammie_

* * *

"Please remind me how you talked me into this."

Macey just laughed, "That's not important." Her face dropped all humor as she turned back to the rack in front of us with an expression I imagine someone wears when making a life-altering decision as she said, "What's important is if we're wearing gold and black or silver and black tonight."

"You've got to be freakin' kidding me."

* * *

"Let's just get in and out, can we?" I begged. I tried tugging the too-short sequined dress down to cover a little more of my legs while keeping the neckline from plunging too far, but Macey swatted my hand away before I made a lot of improvement. She had decided on gold and silver after making many consultation calls to her stylists and changing her mind at least four times.

Bex glared at me, already fed up with my complaining. "Absolutely not. You, Cameron Morgan, are going to enjoy yourself tonight, and we're not leaving until at least after midnight. So put a smile on that pretty little face of yours and have fun!"

I knew my limits with Bex, and, as frustrated as she was with me, I had not yet reached them, so I decided to push my luck just a little more. "Why did I have to come and not Liz?"

Macey closed her compact mirror, smacking her lips in satisfaction- apparently finally finding the perfect lip gloss shade- before whirling back around towards me, her hair flying through the air in the process, and letting me know in a no-nonsense way that "Liz had other plans. She and Jonas had been invited to some fancy dinner by some fancy science organization."

I pouted, knowing that all of my arguments would be fought down as a moot point. We were standing in his front lawn for crying out loud.

Bex kept glancing at the doors, the bass pulsing from the house drawing her like a siren's call, but her eyes cut to me now. "What's your problem anyway? It's usually just the wardrobe decisions that have you in a fit, but tonight you're like some social pariah!"

I tugged on my dress again, before mumbling something about a headache. She gave me a look, and I knew she didn't accept that excuse, but I just grabbed their wrists and pulled them towards the house. As much as I didn't want to be there, I didn't want to explain _why _I didn't want to be there even more.

Making our way up the stairs, we paused at the oak doors. And, I had to admit, this party would definitely be talked about for the next few months- set the par for every other party this year.

Macey looked around and sighed in contentment before she smugly said, "I totally made the right decision with the black and gold."

We had just grabbed sodas from the cooler- I was still trying to shake the freezing water off my hands from digging around to find a sprite- when the real reason for me wanting to skip out on this party came into view.

I had a bad feeling about him from the start.

Macey started to pull us towards him, "Look! It's the new guy. Let's go introduce ourselves."

I knew if I made a comment about not wanting to that they'd see right through my act, so I followed them without complaint.

It wasn't that I didn't want them to know about meeting him earlier. It just really wasn't important, but that wouldn't stop them from teasing me and reading into every little detail.

So I calmly followed Macey, trying to discreetly adjust my dress to cover as much as it could. I didn't manage to pull it down more than a centimeter before we were already standing in front of green-eyes.

Bex, always the flirt, cocked a hip and raised an eyebrow, and started the conversation, "Nice party. You might just survive the high school social bloodbath yet."

There was honestly no other way to describe the expression on his face as anything but a smirk (and I promise I've tried) as he said, "I'm not worried."

I rolled my eyes, about to thrown in a witty remark, but Macey beat me to it. "I'm Macey. Senator's daughter- blah, blah blah." She rolled her eyes. He smiled just a little, seeming to appreciate her attitude.

"Zach," he replied, finally giving me something else other than Mr. Smirks-A-Lot and green-eyes to call him.

She smiled, fluttering her eyelashes just a little. "This is Cammie," Macey continued, gesturing towards me.

He smirked, and I couldn't help myself. "Do you have any other freakin' facial expression than that annoying smirk?" A grin was already working its way onto his face, but it exploded into a full-fledged smile when I stomped my foot in frustration.

I'm not going to lie. His smile was gorgeous. Breathtakingly so. If this were a movie, that would be the moment where the sun suddenly shined brighter, the music started to play, and the leading actress seemed stunned and speechless, floundering for a coherent thought.

Not me. I was still irritated… And only a little stunned.

He let his gaze wonder back to Macey and infuriated me even more, talking like I wasn't there, when he said, "Oh, we've met."

And with that, I saw it click in Bex's brain. She knew exactly why I didn't want to come to this party, and she most definitely wasn't going to let me off easy.

Grinning that devious smile of hers that I learned long ago to be extremely terrified of, Bex said, "Oh, have you now? Well-"

I narrowed my eyes at her in warning, cutting her off when she didn't look like she was going to stop, "_Zach_, this is Rebecca Baxter."

If looks could kill, I'd be dead. But, they can't, so I stood there breathing quite comfortably and fairly satisfied with myself.

Bex on the other hand cut her eyes away from mine and gave Zach an equally terrifying glare, which he managed to withstand wonderfully. "It's Bex," she spit out.

He chuckled just a little, "Noted."

Bex dropped the glare, turning to me and smiling, which scared me so much more than the glares. "Well, Macey, I'm famished. Let's go see if we can find anything to eat around here." She paused for just a second as the music changed to a new song. "Isn't that perfect? Cammie, it's your favorite song!"

I knew where this was headed. Dread filled me and I desperately sputtered, "No. No, no. It's not. Really. I hate this song."

I really should learn to stop trying to beat Bex at her own game.

I always lose.

Bex placed my hand in Zach's, sending me a smirk of her own. "Well, why don't y'all go dance anyway?" she suggested. "Go have fun, kids. But not too much fun," she winked and pushed us towards the crowd of dancing, sweaty teenagers.

As soon as they were both out of sight, I tore my hand out of Zach's, wiping it on my dress.

"Someone's still not being too nice, are they?"

I rolled my eyes, ready to walk off, but Zach grabbed my arm and turned me back around, pulling me close against his chest. He leaned down to whisper in my ear, "Gallagher Girl. Let go for just a second and have some fun."

A shiver rolled through my spine, and I fought to keep myself upright. Something about his voice mesmerized me, and I couldn't find the will to argue, so I let him lead me into the middle of the dancers.

I took Zach's advice and let go. I didn't worry about how stupid I may have looked dancing, about the length of the dress. I didn't even worry about how close Zach and I were getting.

That is until I felt a little pop in the back of my dress. Suddenly the dress that was so tight it almost felt like it had been sewn on got a little bit looser. I felt my face heat up, my eyes opened wide, and my body went completely rigid.

"Gallagher Girl?" Zach hadn't missed the sudden change in my demeanor. "What's wrong?"

I let my mind run through the different options here. I could either walk off now, leaving Zach no less the wiser, but I would risk the possibility of having more stiches pop out and possibly facing the embarrassment of my entire dress falling down in front of everyone in the room. _Or _I could tell Zach what was happening, humiliate myself completely within the first twenty-four hours of knowing him, and have him help me out.

As tempted as I was to take my chances with the first option, I chose the latter.

Trying to not move more than necessary, I took as deep of a breath as possible without moving my dress, and motioned for Zach to lean in so I could tell him.

"Don't laugh."

He was still so shocked and worried about what made me freeze up that he didn't hesitate to nod. I was impressed with seriousness, but I wasn't counting on it lasting long.

"The stitching holding the zipper to the fabric of my dress is ripping, and there's a very real possibility that if I move too much, I run the risk of everyone seeing way more skin than they already are now."

I saw the laughter start to bubble up in his eyes, but then they met mine and saw the panic- and the warning- there. Even the smallest of movements was starting to cause stitches to pop, and I knew my dress would soon be holding on by just a few threads.

Still looking me in the eyes, he asked, "Do you trust me, Gallagher Girl?"

My mind screamed no. How can someone earn your trust in less than a day? But, in this situation, I had no choice but to trust him.

But, honestly, I know that, no matter what the situation, something about him would've made me answer the same way.

"Yes," I whispered.

He nodded and whispered, "_Just so you know, Gallagher Girl, I'm going to kiss you now_."

Somehow, despite the warning, _the last thing I expected was to feel his arms sliding around me, to sense the whole world turning upside down as Zach dipped me in the middle of _the song_ and pressed his lips to mine._

And I thought my mind went into overdrive when threads started popping.

But, while I had been lost in the feel of his lips against mine, he had been gathering my dress into his fist. I was impressed by the way he made it seem like he didn't know what he was doing and was just lost in the passion of the kiss. I was even more impressed by how he still managed to keep me somewhat modest.

When he pulled away, only a few people had noticed us. He swung me up into his arms, carrying my like a groom carries his bride over the threshold, and still managed to keep a decent hold on my dress.

I was still breathless from the kiss, but I managed to let out a laugh for everyone watching so it looked like we were just having some fun.

He carried me out to the yard, pausing to look around the parking lot, "Which is yours?"

My eyes went wide, "Dang it. I rode with Macey."

We both glanced back at the party, which was in full swing. There was no way we'd be finding Macey anytime soon, and Zach couldn't really carry me around to look for her anyway.

Zach turned back around and headed back into the house.

"What are you doing?" I screeched.

He ignored me and kept going. He maneuvered us through the crowd and up the stairs. He opened a door, and it was pretty obvious that we were in his bedroom.

There were too many dirty clothes on the floor for it to be his parents.

He put me down on his bed before he started rummaging around his drawers. I was busy trying to keep my dress together when a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt hit me in the face.

"You can borrow these. This is about the best I can do. They're gonna be a little big, but it's better than nothing right? I'll let you get dressed." He turned towards the door, but right before he shut it, I lifted my head up.

My cheeks were tinged with pink, but I called out, "Zach?"

He turned back around to face me.

"Thank you. For not making this more embarrassing than it had to be. And for coming to my rescue even though I was so rude earlier."

He nodded, "You're welcome," and shut the door behind him.

**AH! Guys. I'm so excited. SAT scores came back, and I met all of my goals! I'm a little late on taking it seeing as that was my first one, and I'm a senior this coming year, so I've been ready to throw up waiting on these. But, I had a goal of 650 on all three parts because I need to get into the 700s if I want to get into Vanderbilt. And, thank God, I got a 710 on critical reading, 650 on math, and 660 on writing. So, I can bring those up the next two times I take it in the fall.**

**If you chose not to read that, I don't blame you. Haha! I'm just so excited I had to share with someone!**

**~Mary Katherine**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all for reviewing!**

**This chapter starts the same, and it has some of the same elements, but I completely changed the end of it from **_**A Love Like That.**_** It seemed way too OOC and unrealistic. I added a good bit in the middle, and while some of the end is the same because I really liked parts, I've changed a great deal. **

**Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

_Dear Diary,_

_I'm still hung up on my perfect relationship. What else did you expect? But, I was watching Dirty Dancing, and I was thinking. I want a guy who can bring out the best in me. I'm proud of who I am, and my boyfriend or husband should only pull out my best qualities and help them grow. You know? But, at the same time, I want him to bring me out of my shell. I want to experience new things with him. I want to go a little bit crazy (within reason) and make memories to tell our children someday._

_Possibly going crazy already,_

_Cammie_

* * *

I was feeling only slightly ridiculous at this point. Holding the bathroom pass and Zach's clothes in the other, I hurried down the hall to his locker.

After Friday night, I had taken every extreme to avoid him- even if that meant pretending to go to the bathroom, when, in reality, I ran to my locker and grabbed his clothes and was now making my way to his locker which I had managed to find after stalking green-eyes before first period.

I was feeling pretty smug that I had managed to return the clothes and avoid him, but someone once told me that a cocky attitude will be your downfall. Sure enough, when I shut the locker door, I turned around and rammed into a rock solid mass of body heat.

I looked up, biting my lip, and mentally screaming when I saw those emerald eyes. Zach cocked an eyebrow, and I knew the smirk that appeared on his face wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

"Avoiding me, Gallagher Girl?"

Mimicking his attitude, I replied, "Stalking me, Goode?"

He held up his own pass, "Forgot my notebook."

That darn smirk was _still_ on his face.

"A cocky attitude will be your downfall, you know!" I blurted out.

"What?"

I rolled my eyes, mentally hitting myself in the forehead, "Someone told me that once. Anyway, I should get back to class."

"I have a better idea."

* * *

"No. No, no, no, no, no." I shook my head with each repetition, continuing on like I was in a trance.

Zach interrupted me, "Cammie. Yes."

I looked up at him, fully determined to win this argument.

"I am _not _ditching. And, I am certainly not riding this deathtrap," I swung my arm at the Blackthorne motorcycle in front of me.

We were standing in the school parking lot, and Zach was trying to convince me to leave school _in the middle of the day_ and ride his _motorcycle_.

I'm a straight A student. I don't leave school early without permission. I don't ditch. And I don't ride motorcycles. I'd made this pretty clear to Zach, but he wasn't giving up.

He rolled his eyes, "Gallagher girl. It's perfectly safe. Don't be such a baby. What happened to 'letting go and having some fun?'"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Last time I tried that I almost ended up naked in front of most of the school!"

"But you didn't."

"But I almost did."

"But you _didn't._"

"But I al-"

"And who made sure that almost didn't become a did? I'm not gonna let something happen. And, you do kind of owe me for that anyway."

"Fine."

He made his way over to the bike and threw a helmet at me.

"I didn't mean 'fine' as in I'll go for a ride."

"It's a _Blackthorne_ motorcycle. Why wouldn't you want to go for a ride?"

I just threw him a look in response.

He rolled his eyes at me before asking- in a very condescending tone that did him no favors with me, I might add, "Then what did it mean?"

I cocked a hip, tossing the helmet back before I raised a hand to block my eyes from the sun, "It means, you're right. I owe you. But you're gonna have to come up with another way for me to make it up to you."

He threw me a look, apparently not believing that I was actually turning him down, "You're serious?"

"Dead. I'm not that kind of girl, Zach. I have responsibilities. One of those is not disappearing from campus. If you think I am, then you might just need to find another girl to stalk. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've already been in the bathroom way too long. I'm heading back to class. I suggest you do the same."

And with that, I flipped my hair over my shoulder and walked away. I didn't even look back to see if he was following me- which he wasn't. His reflection in one of the classroom windows proved he was still standing in the parking lot looking a little blown away and dazzled.

And he was definitely watching my butt as I walked away.

* * *

"Gallagher Girl!"

My lips settled into a grimace as I hurried down the hall to avoid the person calling me- the only person who calls me that. I blended into the crowd, a technique I had perfected since Josh and I broke up, but, for the first time in my life, it was to no avail, and a very strong hand reached out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me to the side of the swarm of students and spinning me around.

His eyes twinkled _quite_ mischievously when he told me, "I've decided how you can pay me back."

I leaned against the lockers to my side and motioned with my hand for him to go on.

"A date, Gallagher Girl. You owe me a date."

My mouth dropped open, and then it closed, and opened, and closed again, and finally opened once more as I finally collected myself enough to practically shriek, "No way!" before I turned around to storm down the hall and out of the building.

I only got a few steps before I was jerked right back to where I had been standing.

"You owe me," he said. "You told me to come up with another way that you could make it up to me, and this is it!"

My hands flailed as I frantically tried to explain what I meant, "Yeah! And I meant a tour around the school since you're new! Or a ride home from school if you need it. Or maybe even a tutoring or study session if you're having trouble in a class! I most certainly did not mean a _date_!"

He rolled his eyes before looking down at me and saying, "Gallagher Girl."

My eyes narrowed, and I was glad to see I kept myself from stuttering as I floundered before I replied back with a "Blackthorne Boy."

The look on his face prompted me to ramble a little in explanation, "You know. Because of your Blackthorne bike."

He nodded, and I was seriously starting to be frustrated by that unreadable expression he had. "I understood the connection. Original."

Putting my hands on my hips, I led the conversation back to the issue at hand, firmly stating, "Well, the point is, I'm not going to be going on a date with you anytime soon."

"You're right."

"I am?

"Definitely. Tomorrow night- Friday- was definitely too soon. I mean, you barely know me. I barely… Well, I know a lot about you, Gallagher Girl. I do my research."

I scoffed, and, with a look of disgust, I said, "You do realize just how creepy that sounds, don't you?"

He continued on as if he hadn't heard me, but he did start to walk away, his voice becoming a little louder so I could hear as he said, "But, Saturday? Well, Saturday gives you plenty of time to get to know me." By the time he said the next part he was more than halfway down the hall, still walking backwards, practically shouting loud enough for the whole hall to hear him, "So I'll see you then. It's a date."

And with a wink, he turned around and was gone.

I could practically scream in frustration as I whirled around to put in my locker combination… On a locker that wasn't mine.

I swear I could hear him laughing.

And if I couldn't, well, I could definitely feel his smirk.

* * *

The girls were unaware of this outing (because it was definitely not a date), so I wasn't forced to suffer through their torture they call "getting ready."

And, in a point to show just how much of a date this wasn't, I was wearing norts and an oversized t-shirt.

So, when I heard the growl of a motor coming up my street, and the doorbell rang, I was feeling quite proud of myself as I walked to the door and opened it.

And standing there, with his windblown hair, his way-too nicely fitting dark-wash jeans, a light green button down that complimented his eyes and skin way too much for my liking, and that ever present smirk, was Zachary Goode.

He took in my outfit, and his smirk grew even wider. "I see you dressed up for me," and, of course, he accompanied his greeting with a wink.

He gestured for me to make my way out to the street, still blabbing, "You know, I appreciate your attempts to make me look good in comparison. But, I don't need it. I stand out in any setting."

I loved the rush of the wind -no matter how much of a mess my hair must be at this point. I loved the streaks of color the cars were becoming when we sped by them. And I loved the way I could smell Zach's polo cologne…. even if I tried to convince myself I didn't.

But, Zach couldn't know that.

We'd been riding for about fifteen minutes and my curiosity was rising, so I started to complain.

"How far are we, Zach? Where are we even going?"

"Sit back and enjoy the ride, Gallagher Girl! Stop worrying. And stop asking questions!"

"My hair is in my face and getting all tangled!"

"Why are you complaining? That'll just make it harder for me when I'm running my hands through it in our make-out session tonight!"

I slapped his shoulder, not being able to stop myself from laughing though, and surprising myself by resting my chin on Zach's shoulder. In the corner of my eyes I saw his lips turn up into a smirk, but when I took a closer look, I think it just might have been a real smile.

After an hour I was starting to get a little worried. "Zach, do you know where we're going?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course I do, Gallagher Girl. Don't you trust me?"

I raised my eyebrows, "I don't even know where we're going. You said yourself I barely know you. What if you're taking me to some cabin in the woods where you've planned to murder me? Just tell me how far we are now."

"We're about halfway there."

"What?! Where the heck are we going that it takes two and a half hours?"

"Somewhere every girl loves. The mall."

"The mall? And we couldn't have gone to the one in Roseville?"

"Well this isn't just any mall, Gallagher Girl."

"What kind of mall is it, then?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out."

"I hate you, Zachary Goode."

And there it was. The smirk I was waiting for it.

I knew it was too good to be true.

* * *

An hour and a half later, we were finally there.

"The National Mall? Really, Zach?"

He nodded, "Really."

"But it's not even a real mall! It's a museum."

He laughed and pulled me towards the building as he started to explain, "We didn't just come to look at random exhibits. There's something here that I heard about, and it made me think of you."

I cocked an eyebrow, "You've been thinking about me, Goode?"

"Don't get too flattered. It'd be hard not to think about you after you nearly attacked me defending her."

I shook my head in confusion, "What?"

"You'll see."

"_Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery." –Gilly Gallagher_

_ They say the pen is mightier than the sword, and, in Gilly Gallagher's case, that is undeniably true. Her way with words is often times considered incomparable. She was a fantastic author, capturing the hearts of readers for centuries with novels like Sense & Sensibility and Emma. Many of us forget that Gilly Gallagher wrote every word of her novels by hand, using a quill pen. This pen was used entirely to write Pride & Prejudice, surviving the centuries just like her novels._

I raised my hand to the glass covering the pen in awe, barely touching the glass with my fingertips.

"This was really hers? She really wrote my favorite book with this little flimsy thing?

I could feel the smugness radiating off Zach as he nodded. I tore my gaze away from the pen to his face. As much as I hated to admit it, Zach had pulled off an amazing feat. He gave me the chance of a lifetime, and this moment really did mean a lot to me.

Of course, I did take cotillion when I was younger, and my instructor, Mrs. Dabney, did not let me leave without having some good manners drilled into me, and I did not forget them now.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Zach. This is really cool." I smiled at him.

"I'm glad you've enjoyed it."

After a few more minutes looking at the Gilly Gallagher exhibit, Zach nudged my shoulder, "You ready? I'm starting to get a little hungry."

I pulled out my iPhone and checked the time, seeing that I had a few texts from the girls. I ignored them and nodded at Zach.

"Yeah. Let's go." I held my phone out to him, "Just… can you take a picture first?"

* * *

Zach pulled his bike up to my house, and I handed him his helmet back, smoothing my hair down and thanking him for the ride and experience.

"Well, I couldn't but help but give you a reason to be in my presence. We both know you crave it."

I rolled my eyes, stepping towards my car and unlocking it. "Bye, Blackthorne Boy."

I started to walk towards my house, and he revved his engine. "See you later, Gallagher Girl," he said right before he pulled away from the sidewalk. "I had fun on our date."

I walked up the driveway, yelling over my shoulder, "It was an outing!"

But I couldn't help adding, in a whisper just for myself, "Me, too."

* * *

**I don't know how far Roseville is from D.C., but for my story and it's purposes, it's two and a half hours.**

**I had every intention to get this out earlier, but I've gone literally non-stop since Thursday. Volunteering at an animal shelter (awful- don't do it), then meeting friends, having one spend the night, hosting a picnic, then a fantastic play at the theatre tonight, and I just had no time. But, I was determined to have it up tonight!(:**

**That being said, my one-shot will be out tomorrow! I hope y'all take a look!(:**

**Do you want to see more of Bex, Macey, and Liz? And the Blackthorne crew? Or are y'all happy with mostly Zammie?**

**Let me know in a review, please!**

**Thank you, lovelies! Have a wonderful Sunday!(:**


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